Chapter 50: Chapter 50: The Power of the Seal

Lila’s POV

Jasper looked at me, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes, but he still answered truthfully, “He’s just outside the door right now. He’s been standing guard out there ever since he brought you back, and he refuses to leave. No matter how I try to drive him away, he insists on waiting for you to wake up.”

“Outside the door?” I whipped my head around to look at the closed bedroom door, as if I could see that stubborn figure right through the wood.

“Lila, you’re still very weak right now. You don’t want to see him, right?” There was a hint of hope in Jasper’s voice. “I’ll make him leave. I’ll make him never appear before you again.”

I looked at him, my heart a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. ’I really don’t want to see Caleb—the man who once brought me warmth, but who now fills me with fear and doubt. But more than anything, I need to know the truth.’

“Jasper, I’ll see him.”

My voice was quiet, but it made Jasper’s body stiffen abruptly.

“Lila…” He stared at me in disbelief. “You don’t have to see him. He’s just trouble. He’s dangerous.”

“No, Jasper.” I took his hand and said earnestly, “I have to see him. I need to know why he was there. What is he really trying to do? Was it a coincidence, or… something else?”

I paused, looking at the worry in his eyes, and said softly, “Besides, I also want to know what exactly happened before I passed out. I just remember feeling awful, and scared, and then… then I don’t remember anything.”

Jasper looked at me, complex emotions swirling in his golden eyes. He seemed to want to refuse, to hide me behind him and shield me from any storm. But in the end, he just sighed, the ice in his gaze slowly melting, replaced by a trace of reluctant compromise.

“Fine.” He nodded, a warning tone in his voice. “I can let him in. But, Lila, you remember this: no matter what he says or does, don’t believe him. He’s a liar and an actor.”

“I know.” I nodded. “I won’t forget.”

Jasper stood up, walked to the door, and pulled it open a crack. He whispered a few words to the person outside, then stepped aside, clearing a path.

A figure walked in from outside, head bowed.

It was Caleb.

He looked a mess. His normally neat suit was wrinkled, his hair was disheveled, and his face still held a trace of lingering panic and exhaustion. He kept his head down, not daring to look at me or Jasper, and walked straight to my bedside before stopping.

The air seemed to freeze.

I could hear my own heartbeat, and Caleb’s somewhat ragged breathing.

“Caleb,” I was the first to break the silence. My voice was weak, but calm. “Were you the one who brought me back?”

He snapped his head up. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at me, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t make a sound.

“Thank you,” I said, looking at him sincerely. “Thank you, Caleb.”

He didn’t seem to expect me to say that. He froze for a moment, and then his eyes actually started to redden. “Lila, I…”

“Caleb,” I cut him off, not wanting to hear any disingenuous pleasantries. “I want to know, how did you find me? Why were you at that hospital?”

His body trembled, and a flash of pain and conflict crossed his eyes. He opened his mouth, as if he was about to invent a lie, but after looking into my calm eyes, he finally hung his head in defeat.

“I didn’t mean to follow you,” he said in a low, hoarse voice. “I just… you refused to talk to me the other day. I… I couldn’t stop worrying. This morning, I saw you get into that car, and you looked pale, so I… I followed you.”

“Couldn’t stop worrying?” I scoffed. “Caleb, do you really think I’d believe that excuse? You got close to me to monitor me, to use me, didn’t you?”

He shot his head up, his eyes filled with urgency and panic. “No, Lila, listen to me! I never meant to deceive you! My father… he did tell me to keep an eye on you, but I didn’t! I really didn’t!”

“Then why did you show up?” I pressed. “Why did you burst into the examination room?”

“I was worried about you,” he said in a low voice. “In the past, every time you went to a hospital, you’d be reminded of your parents’ deaths and feel terrible…”

I fell silent.

’It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. But the pain and conflict in his eyes didn’t seem fake.’

He raised his eyes to meet mine, his voice trembling slightly. “Lila, I know you don’t believe me. I know I’ve done wrong. But in that moment, my mind went blank. All I wanted to do was rush in, hold you, and tell you—it’s okay, I’m here.”

The room was dead silent.

Jasper stood off to the side, his expression as dark as a stormy sea, but he said nothing.

I looked at Caleb, at the face that had once brought me comfort but was now a mask of betrayal and mystery. My emotions were in turmoil.

————

Caleb was gone.

The room fell into a dead silence, broken only by the soft rustle of the night wind through the treetops outside. It sounded like a series of whispers, trying to soothe the stagnant air.

After I’d said, “You can go,” he hadn’t said another word. He just gave me one last, deep look—a look filled with pain, reluctance, and a trace of determination I couldn’t quite decipher.

He turned, his footsteps heavy as he walked to the door. As he passed Jasper, their gazes clashed briefly, and it felt as if sparks flew in the air. But Jasper merely stared at him coldly, like a predator watching its prey. In the end, Caleb lowered his head, pushed the door open, and disappeared into the shadows outside.

The door clicked shut.

But that soft click landed like a boulder in the already turbulent waters of my heart.

I turned my head to look at Jasper. He was still standing in the same spot, his back to me. His tall frame was rigid with suppressed tension. His hands were clenched into fists, knuckles white, and his shoulder blades rose and fell slightly with the effort of his restraint. I knew he was holding himself back with all his might—restraining the urge to chase after Caleb and erase him from my life completely.

I slowly pushed myself up from the bed. My legs felt a little weak, but I managed to stand, stepping barefoot onto the cool carpet and walking silently toward him.

From behind, I wrapped my arms gently around his waist.

His body went rigid, his muscles instantly tensing as if he’d been scalded.

“Jasper,” I pressed my cheek against his broad, stiff back, feeling the restless anger and unease stirring within him. “Don’t be like this.”

He didn’t speak, but his breath hitched slightly.

“What Caleb said… about me feeling unwell whenever I used to go to the hospital,” I said softly, my voice sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet room. “It’s not that I intentionally hid it from you.”

He finally moved, slowly turning around to look down at me. A storm of complex emotions churned in his golden eyes—unwillingness, anger, and an even deeper, bottomless worry. “Then are you going to explain?”

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